Adjustable clothes-line support.



A. S. ERIOKSON. ADJUSTABLE CLOTHES LINE SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED MAR.27, 1912.

1,081,440, Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

"a L Y PATNT FTQB ALFRED S. ERICKSON, OF AMES, IOWA.

ADJUSTABLE CLOTHES-LINE SUPPORT.

To all 70/101 2'? may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED S. EmoKsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ames, in the county of Story and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Clothes-Line Supports, of which the following is a specitication.

The present invention relates to a combined clothes line stretcher and lifter.

An important object of this invention is to provide means of the above mentioned character whereby the clothes line may be arranged at a suitable height so that the op orator may place the clothes thereon, subsequent to which the clothes line may be elevated or lifted to a suitable position to prevent the ends of the clothes from coming in contact with the ground.

A further object of this invention is to I provide means of the above mentioned character which not only elevates the clothes line but retains the same properly stretched or tight.

' A further object of this invention is to provide means of the above mentioned character which may be quickly and easily disconnected from the stationary posts, poles oi other supports.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, Figure l isa side view of the complete apparatus, and, Fig. 2 is a similar View of a slightly modified form of my invention.

In the drawings wherein is illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention the numerals l and 2 designate suitably spaced upstanding posts, poles or other supports. Rigidly connected with the upper end of the post 1 is a shaft or arm 3. provided at its outer end with an eye 4. This eye receives the upper end of a vertical track or rod 5, carrying above the same an enlarged head 6, as shown. Connected with the post 1 is a lower shaft 7, carrying at its free end a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 27, 1912. Serial No. 686,658.

Patented Dec. 16. 1913.

hook 8, to receive the lower end of the track 5 Any suitable means may be provided to prevent the accidental movement of the track 5 out of the hook 8, if such should be found necessary.

The post 2 is connected at its upper end with a shaft or bolt 9, having pivotal connection with an inclined track or rod 10, as shown at 11. At its lower end the track 10 is provided with an eye 12, adapted to receive a hook 133, formed upon the outer end of a shaft or bolt 14, which in turn is attached to the post 2. At its upper end the track 10 has its material bent outwardly, forming a curved portion 15, which serves 1 as a pocket. for a purpose to be described.

My improved clothes line support or attachment comprises a vertically movable support or body portion 16, having large and small grooved wheels '17 and 18 rotatably rriounted thereon. These grooved wheels are disposed upon opposite sides of the track 5 and engage the same, as shown. The su port or body portion 16 is provided near tli e wheel 17 with anextension 19, having connect ion with a rope, cable or other flexible element 20, which extends upwardly and about a grooved pulley 21, suitably mounted upon the upper end of the support 1. It is thus seen that by pulling on the lower end of the flexible element 20, the support 16 will be elevated. The support 16 may be retained in this elevated position by swinging the lower forked end of a depending rod or arm 22 into engagement with the shaft 7,

it being understood that the rod 22 has suitable connection with the support or body portion 16 to permit of the same being so swung.

The numeral 23 designates a clothes line, which may be formed of a section of rope. cable or roch and it is to be understood that the term clothes line as employed throughout this specification is used in its broad sense and is not restricted to a section of cord or rope or any other particular kind of line. The clothes line 23 is provided at; one end with an eye 24,'adapted to receive a book 25, carried by a strip or element 26. This strip 26 has a grooved pulley 27 r0- tatably mounted thereon,

Depending from the dog 32 is a rod such grooved pulley being included 1n a block and tackle structure to be next described. The support or body portion 16 is provided w1th a'lateral extension 27 apertured, as shown at 28, for connection with a rope, cable or other flexible element 29. This flexible element 29, which for the sake of clearness may be designated the stretching flexible element, passes about the grooved pulley 27 and a second grooved pulley 30, which is rotatably mounted upon the support or body portion 16. The stretching flexible element 29 passes downwardly and engages a cog wheel 31, suitably mounted upon the support-16. A dog 32, is ivotally mounted upon the support or bo y dportion 16, as shown at 33, and is adapts to clamp the material of the stretching flexible element 29, into engagement with the cog wheel 31.

34, having pivotal connection with the same.

At its opposite end the clothes line 23 is provided with an eye 35, to receive a hook 36, which is carried by a strip or element 37 This strip or element has a grooved wheel or pulley 38 rotatably mounted thereon, as shown, which grooved wheel is adapted to travel upon the inclined track 10.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows :--Assuming that the line 23 is in its lowermost position, the operator attaches the clothes to the same in the usual manner. This having been done, the elevating flexible element 20 is pulled to raise the support or body portion 16, which will now assume the position indicated by the dotted lines. The supporting rod 22 is placed in proper engagement with the shaft 7 to retain the support 16 elevated. The clothes line 23 will now occupy the inclined position, as indicated by the dotted lines. The operator next pulls upon the stretching flexible element 29, which stretches the line 23 and at the same time causes the grooved wheel 38 to travel upwardly along the inclined track 10, until such wheel enters the pocket formed by the curved portion 15 of the track 10. The clothes line will now occupy its elevated horizontal osition, as indicated by the dotted lines. t is obvious that the clothes line 23 may be readily disconnected from the hooks 25 and 36. The support 16 and associated elements may be readily removed from the track 5 by swinging the lower end of such track 5 out of the hook 8. It is obvious that the wheel 38 may be readily removed from the track 10. The function in having the track 10 pivotally connected with the shafts 9 and 1 1 is to provide means whereby the same will be free to swing horizontally to-bein alinement with the track 5. In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 2, the inclined track 10 and wheel 38 clothes line is directly mounted upon the book 13 of the shaft 14. At the opposite end of the line 23, the vertical track 5, wheels 17 and 18, flexible element 20, pulley 21, shaft 3 and rod 22, are dispensed with. The support 16 is provided'with pins or bolts 16 and 16", the pin 16 engaging below th bolt 7 and the pin 16" engaging within the It is thus seen not vertically movable but is simply detachably connected with the post 1. By pulling on the cord 29, the clothes line may be properly tightened.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that certain changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. The combination with a substantially vertical track and an inclined track disposed a suitable distance from the same, of a clothes line support mounted upon the substantially vertical track, a second clothes line support mounted uponv the inclined track, a clothes line connecting the clothes line supports, and means to vertically move the first named clothes line support.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a vertically movable clothes line support, an inclined track disposed a suitable distance from the clothes line support, a second clothes line support engaging the inclined track to travel along the same, a clothes line connecting the two clothes line supports, means to move the vertically movable clothes line support, and means to tighten the clothes line whereby the second clothes line support is made to travel upwardly along the inclined track.

3. In apparatus of the character described, an inclined track, a second track" disposed a suitable distance therefrom, a support, a wheel carried by the support and engaging the second track, manually operated means to move the support along the second track, a supporting element, a wheel carried thereby and traveling in engagement with the inclined track, a clothes line connected with the supporting element, and stretching means connecting the opposite I are dispensed with, and the eye 25 of the that the support is end of the clothes line with the first named u support.

4. In apparatus of the character described, an inclined track, a second track disposed a suitable distance therefrom, a support, a wheel carried by the support and engaging the second track, manually operated means to move the support along tl e second track, a supporting element, a wheel carried thereby and traveling in engagement with the inclined track, a clothes line connected with the supporting element, and a block and tackle structure connecting the opposite end of the clothes line with the first named support.

ALFRED S. ERIOKSON.

Witnesses:

W. H. GROVER, W. H. BEST. 

